Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 197: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she has engaged in discussions with her Northern counterpart on third level education, Minister for Employment and Learning, Mr. Reg Empey, on the financial burden faced by students from the 26 counties who must pay fees for studying in third level institutions in the Six Counties; and the way she proposes to alleviate that burden, particularly on students from disadvantaged regions such as Donegal. [24540/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Under my Department's Free Fees Initiative the Exchequer meets the tuition fees of eligible students who are attending approved undergraduate third-level courses in the State. There are no plans to extend this initiative to cover third level institutions in Northern Ireland. Under my Department's Higher Education Grant Schemes, maintenance grants are available to eligible students pursuing approved undergraduate courses in other EU Member States, including Northern Ireland. In general, approved courses are those pursued in a third level institution, which is maintained or assisted by recurrent grants from public funds. However the payment of undergraduate tuition fees under these schemes does not extend to approved courses outside the State and there are no plans to change this position at present.

It is understood however that students attending Higher Education Institutions in Northern Ireland and who are ordinarily resident in a Member State of the European Union will be eligible for a fee loan from the Northern Ireland Authorities up to the amount charged by the Higher Education Institution. Further clarification can be sought by the individual from Department of Employment and Learning in the Northern Ireland. Their e-mail address is studentfinance@delni.gov.uk.

Section 473A Taxes Consolidation Act, 1997 also provides for tax relief on tuition fees, at the standard rate of tax in respect of approved courses at approved colleges of higher education including certain approved undergraduate and postgraduate courses in EU and non-EU member states.